It is common to close the drain openings of sinks, basins, tubs and the like with a stopper. In some instances, the stopper is a simple plug which is inserted into the drain opening. Stoppers of this type tend to become lost and require the user to reach into the tub to insert and remove them. As a consequence, drains are often provided with an automatically actuated stopper. Such prior art automatic stopper assemblies typically comprise an actuator linkage which is disposed in the drain pipe and which is operated by a lever passing through the pipe to raise and lower an attached stopper. Several problems arise with the use of this type of prior art stopper assembly. The linkage disposed in the pipe acts to trap hair, soap particles and the like so as to clog the drain. Such blockages are hard to clear and frequently require disassembly of the drain pipe. Additionally, the lever which passes through the drain pipe can be a source of leaks and makes installation and adjustment of the drain assembly difficult.
It would be highly desirable to have a drain stopper assembly which is readily installed and adjusted and which does not impose any obstructing hardware in the drain line. It is further desirable that any such drain stopper actuator be readily removable from the drain so as to permit easy cleaning of the drain pipe. The present invention provides an automatically actuated drain stopper assembly which includes magnetically coupled elements therein. The assembly of the present invention provides a clear drain path and does not require any levers or other hardware to pass through the drain pipe.
Magnetic actuators have heretofore been employed for purposes of fluid control; however, the use of a magnetic linkage for actuating an automatic drain assembly in the manner set forth hereinbelow has nowhere been shown or suggested in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,543 discloses the magnetic manipulation of a needle valve for purposes of controlling fluid flow in an intravenous solution delivery system. The control assembly of the '543 patent includes a ring-like magnet used for moving a tapered needle into and out of the body of the valve. This assembly cannot be utilized to seal a drain since hydrostatic pressure of water in the basin would tend to open the valve. Additionally, the opening provided thereby is relatively small and the nature of the valve would tend to cause clogging. U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,168 discloses a magnetic cut-off valve wherein movement of a ball by a magnet is employed to open and close a fluid flow path. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,536,813; 2,346,904; and 2,289,574 all disclose valves including magnetic elements therein; however, none of these valves are adaptable to a sink assembly and none operate in the manner of the present invention.